You Will Miss Me When I Burn
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics
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No one can hurt you
When you have no one
No one can hurt you
In the corner there is light
That is good for you
And behind you, I have warned you
Will you miss me when I burn
And will you eye me with a longing?
It is longing that I feel
To be missed or to be real
When you have no one
No one can hurt you
When you have no one
No one can hurt you
Will you miss me when I burn
And will you close the others' eyes
It would be such a favor
If you would blind them
There is absence, there is lack
There are wolves here abound
You will miss me
When I turn around
When you have no one
No one can hurt you
When you have no one
No one can hurt you
The lyrics to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's song "You Will Miss Me When I Burn" are introspective and contemplative. The repetition of the verses "When you have no one, no one can hurt you" highlights a sense of isolation and loneliness, speaking to the idea that being alone can protect you from the pain and hurt that others can cause. The following lines, "In the corner there is light/ that is good for you/ and behind you, I have warned you/ there are awful things" create a sense of juxtaposition between the perceived safety of the light and the potential danger lurking behind.
The chorus, "Will you miss me when I burn/ and will you eye me with a longing?/ it is longing that I feel/ to be missed or to be real" speaks to the desire for connection and validation, even in the face of potential destruction or abandonment. The second verse continues this theme of longing and the potential for harm, with the lines "It would be such a favor/ if you would blind them" suggesting a desire to protect oneself and others from the pain of loss.
The final verse, "There is absence, there is lack/ there are wolves here abound/ you will miss me/ when I turn around" incorporates a sense of danger and peril, with the wolves representing the potential for harm and the singerβs impending absence causing others to feel his loss. Overall, the lyrics of "You Will Miss Me When I Burn" create a sense of introspection, longing, and potential danger, highlighting the complexity of human relationships and the desire for connection even when it may lead to pain.
Line by Line Meaning
When you have no one
Having no one in your life means you're invulnerable to emotional pain inflicted by others
No one can hurt you
If you're alone, you're free from any hurt or harm that comes from personal relationships
When you have no one
Repeating the first line for emphasis and to highlight the contrast between having someone and being alone
No one can hurt you
Being alone provides a sense of security in knowing that no one can emotionally harm you
In the corner there is light
The light in the corner represents a safe and comforting place to hide from the darkness
That is good for you
The light in the corner is beneficial because it offers protection from fear and uncertainty
And behind you, I have warned you
The singer has cautioned the listener about the potential dangers that lurk behind them
There are awful things
The singer hints at the existence of terrible and menacing entities that could harm the listener
Will you miss me when I burn
The singer wonders if the listener will feel any regret or longing when they're gone forever
And will you eye me with a longing?
The singer questions if the listener ever had any desire for a deeper connection or relationship with them
It is longing that I feel
The singer admits to wanting to be missed or appreciated by the listener because of their emotional attachment
To be missed or to be real
There's a connection between feeling missed and feeling validated as a person or human being
Will you miss me when I burn
Repeating the same question to emphasize the importance of being remembered after death
And will you close the others' eyes
The singer requests that the listener help them avoid being judged or scrutinized by others after they're gone
It would be such a favor
The singer expresses gratitude for an act of kindness that would protect them from criticism
If you would blind them
The singer's ideal scenario is for others to not be aware of their flaws or mistakes
There is absence, there is lack
The artist suggests a feeling of emptiness or inadequacy, which could be the source of their melancholy
There are wolves here abound
The singer suggests the presence of dangerous individuals or forces, which makes the world feel like a treacherous place
You will miss me
The singer reassures the listener that they will eventually miss them, even if they don't realize it at the moment
When I turn around
The artist suggests that they will eventually leave the listener, but not before they have a chance to regret their lack of appreciation
When you have no one
Repeating the first line once more as a bookend to the song, and to emphasize its central theme
No one can hurt you
Reiterating the idea that being alone is a form of protection from emotional harm
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ufohstarseed
"You Will Miss Me When I Burn"
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
In the corners there is light
That is good for you
And behind you, I have warned you,
There are awful things
Will you miss me
When I burn, and will you eye me
With a longing
It is longing that I feel
To be missed for, to be real
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
Will you miss me
When I burn,
And will you close
The others' eyes, it would be
Such a favor
If you would blind them
There is absence, there is lack
There are wolves here abound
You will miss me
When I turn around
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
Brett Grace
Beautifully fragile and broken. I always "feel" something when I listen to this mans music. Genius.
ufohstarseed
"You Will Miss Me When I Burn"
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
In the corners there is light
That is good for you
And behind you, I have warned you,
There are awful things
Will you miss me
When I burn, and will you eye me
With a longing
It is longing that I feel
To be missed for, to be real
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
Will you miss me
When I burn,
And will you close
The others' eyes, it would be
Such a favor
If you would blind them
There is absence, there is lack
There are wolves here abound
You will miss me
When I turn around
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
When you have no one,
No one can hurt you
Mommyof2 Doig
ufohstarseed (hh
FΓ‘tima MagalhΓ£es Santos
Wonderful....
louisdebmusic
unexpectedly heartbreaking - first ever listen, guess i'm a fan now
you can't be this empty
This Man is Β΄Greatness' make no mistake.A Β remarkable Artist with a huge heart.
Brent Lohr
How am I just now discovering such brilliance?Β
Mark L sixtyseven
@vanleeuwenhoekHell yeah.
vanleeuwenhoek
The trajectory of your dasein just then intercepted the path of this song by way of a taste selection algorithm created by an engineer working in the bowels of Google on a H1B Visa back in 2015. The veneer of this unassuming gesmeinschaft concealed the complicated machinery underneath.
chrisamar2
Hypnotising voice.